A quiet game of cricket? No, the sledging is in sign language

Umesh Valjee gives a wry grin erstwhile he considers what an umpire mightiness make of a deaf cricket match.

"Umpires will say, 'Oh what a lovely, quiet crippled of cricket. There is nary sledging'," he says.

"Actually, because it is being done successful motion language, they don't realise really overmuch is going on."

England Deaf's longest-serving subordinate and all-time starring run-scorer has seen it each before.

He explains really specified obliviousness tin bespeak a deeper deficiency of deaf consciousness successful cricket, picking retired an illustration of erstwhile he has taken defender arsenic a batter.

"I'll inquire for mediate stump and umpires will speak alternatively than gesturing pinch their hands," says 54-year-old Valjee, who is simply a British Sign Language user. "Little things tin beryllium somewhat aggravating.

"If personification deaf is keeping for a proceeding nine and nan batter snicks it, nan proceeding [team] will spell 'Hey, how’s that!'

"But [the keeper] mightiness not needfully realise they've caught personification out.

"When you return a catch, personification will outcry 'Mine!'

"Deaf players won't perceive it because they'll look up astatine nan shot and slap into each other. So deaf players person to beryllium very bully astatine watching nan ball."

Even pinch enduring support from family and interpreters, erstwhile England skipper Valjee has often felt excluded since he was born.

But erstwhile he was offered nan chance to subordinate West London Deaf Cricket Club aged 15, small did he cognize that taking up nan opportunity would alteration his life.

Valjee went connected to make his England debut successful nan first Deaf Ashes successful 1992 astatine nan commencement of a profession spanning 32 years. He has contributed 2,939 runs successful 88 matches, astir precocious playing successful England's conclusion by India successful past month's T20 series.

It is not world glory that keeps Valjee going, but alternatively nan all-too-rare consciousness of belonging and organization which he wants to sphere for early generations.

"Growing up, I knew I was deaf and location were barriers, but it was normal to me. I put up pinch it. That was life," he says.

"It is society's problem. People could study immoderate motion connection to make our lives a spot easier.

"You tin beryllium very isolated astir a proceeding cricket club. Even successful nan bar, you often think, 'Oh I’ll conscionable spell home, it’s not worthy hanging about'. That happened to maine a batch complete nan years.

"I'd emotion to enactment and chat, but it is specified difficult work. You extremity up doing thumbs-up for everything and you can't person a due conversation. It is simply a shame."

England Deaf players must person a proceeding nonaccomplishment of astatine slightest 55 decibels successful their amended receptor - which is balanced to normal speech - and region proceeding devices during play, meaning connection ranges from articulator reading, speaking, to signing.

"I've seen deaf players spell from a proceeding world to their world. They find their friends, link and animate each other," Valjee says.

"At home, moreover if they are proceeding pinch an assistance and speaking, there's still cipher for illustration them astir them truthful they get that from nan deaf cricket environment.

"I get excited erstwhile I'm pinch England aliases nan pan-disability home teams. I'm like, 'Ah that is my people, and I tin talk to them'."

His existent team-mate Jake Oakes, who is group to correspond an ECB Chair Disability XI against MCC connected 22 July, fondly remembers being coached by Valjee aged 11 and described him arsenic "a stalwart of nan game".

Valjee, who was awarded an MBE successful 2011 for services to abnormal sport, has nary plans to extremity immoderate clip soon.

"I don't want to beryllium nan deaf WG Grace, 1 of nan oldest English players. He had a monolithic beard and was very old-fashioned. I don't want to go that figure," he says, laughing.

Of course, nan time will travel erstwhile Valjee steps away.

With tears successful his eyes, he adds: "Of course, 1 time status is going to happen.

"It will beryllium very, very difficult because England Deaf cricket has been my life."